Vending-machine.



A. K. COLLINS.

. VENDING MACHINE.

v APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1913. pwmm@ Patented D66. 9, 1913.

7c 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[lill A. K, GULLINS.

VBNDNG MAGHNE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 191s.

Eatented Bec. 9, 1.9L?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ALBERT K. CUJLINS, 0F LANCASTER, SOUTH CAROLINA.

vENnINe-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentednee. 9, 1913..

Application filed January 24, 1913. Serial No. 744,009.

To all whom z'zf may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT K. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Lancaster', in the county of Lancaster and State of South Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines and has particular application to a coin controlledvending machine whereby various articles may be dispensed.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a vending machine wherein by means of a number of magazines or article holders and an operating device common to such magazines or holders different articles of merchandise may be vended with ease and facility and without the necessity of having an operating device for each magazine.

lt is also my purpose to provide a machine of the class described which will embrace the desired features of simplicity, efficiency, durability and convenience and which will be readily accessible so that the magazines or article `holders may be replenished when such is necessary and the various parts of the machine cleaned and repaired or replaced when desired.

Furthermore. it. is my intention to provide a vending machine which will be inexpensive to manufacture, install and maintain.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the constrlu'tion, combination and arrangement. of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure l is a View in elevation of a vending machine constructed in accordance `with my present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View through the machine. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the releasing plungers. Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of part of the operating device, and Fig. 6 is an end view thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numeral 1 indicates a suitable stand or pedestal or the like, While 2 designates a shaft or pivot post extending upwardly from the pedestal anddisposed in a vertical plane. Suitably fixed to the shaft or. pivot post 2 at an appropriy ate distance above the pedestal 1 is a table or platform 3 formed at a point to one sideor carrier comprises a top Wall 7, a bott tom wall 8 resting upon the top surface of the table or platform '3 and formed with a number. of openings 9 disposed concentrically of the axis thereof and adapted to register with the opening` 4 in the platform, and a cylindrical side wall formed of a metallic section 10 having one end thereof surrounding the periphery of the bottom wall 8 and the upper end equipped with a clamping ring 11 eoperating with the adjacent portion of the inner surface thereof to receive and hold one edge of a transparent section 12 formed of glass for instance, the upper edge of the section 12 engaging the top wall 7. In this form of my invention a substantially U-shaped strap orA brace 13 has the interconnecting member thereof formed with an opening to receive the shaft or post 2 and is mounted upon such post within the carrier or casing, while the sections 10 and 12 ofthe cylindrical wall of the casing are in the form of segments 14, l5, the segment 14 of the metallic section being hinged as at 16 to one of the vertical limbs of the U-shaped strap, while ythe segment 15 o'such section.is hinged or otherwise pivotally connected as at 17 to the other vertical limb of the strap. By

means of this construction, it will be seen that thesegment-s 14, 14 of the metal and transparent sections of the casing may be swung about the hinge 16 simultaneously incident to the fixed connection between such segments, while the segments 15, 15 of the met-allie and transparent sections may be similarly swung about the hinge 17 between such sections and the opposite limb of the U-shaped' strap. Thus, the carrier or casing may be readily and easily opened so that access may be had thereto.

Mounted within the casing or carrier are I similar a plurality of magazines or article holders 18 of any suitable or preferred construction and designed to hold the articles of merchandise or commoditiesto be vended, each magazine being preferably formed with a vertical slot`19 to receive the tongue 20 on a weight 21 whereby the articles within the magazine will tend to move downwardly under a positive action. Each magazine or article holder is mounted above oneof the ,openings 9 in the base or bottom wall 8 of the carrier and out of alinement with the respective opening and 'has the lower end thereof formed to provide a guide way 22 designed to slidably receive a releasing plunger 24 having an opening 25 therein corresponding in length and width with the dimensions of the respective magazine whereby when the opening` 25 in the releasing plunger is in registration'with the magazine, the lowermost article will be deposited within such plunger. Each plungerd 24 is equipped with a stem 26 extending outwardly of the front wall of the guide way 22 and normally resting within an aperture 27 formedA in the cylindrical wall of the carrier 'or casing, a coiled expansion spring 28 encircling the respective shank 26 and has one end abutting a collar 29 thereon and the opposite end in engagement with the adjacent wall of the guide way 22, such springs normally acting to hold therespective plungers in. position to receive the articles of merchandise from the magazine, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

Rigidly secured to the marginal edge of the table or platform 3 and stationary relatively to the carrier is a casing 30 having an open side contiguous the cylindrical wall of the carrier and carrying a coin controlled operating device common to' the releasing plungers of all article holders. The coin controlled mechanism of this operating device m'ay be construction such, for instance, as that covered by my co-pendingapplication for Letters-Patent.` This device, inaddition to the coin controlled mechanism and the shaft 31- and manipulating knob 32 controlled' by such mechanism, embodies a disk 3'3 secured upon theinner end of the shaft 31 within the casing 30 and formed, in the present instance,v with` alternate raised and depressed portions 34. and 35 respectively. Suitably secured to the lower wall of the casing 30 is l a. bracket 36 in which is slid ably disposed a shank37y carrying a collar 38 and encircled by an expansion spring 39 ehaving one end'bearing against the collar so on 'the shank and the opposite end in engagement with the respective portion of the bracket 36,' such spring acting normally to hold they 'shank' within the casing 30. One .extremity of the shank is cut out to form a heel 40 disposed in the path of the alternate l33, while the opposite end thereof is casing 30 against of any approved or preferredI raised land depressed portions of the disk adapted to be projected out of the casing 30 and into contact with the adjacent ends Aof the j' Stems 26. p n

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my invention will be readily apparent. When it is'desired to obtain an article of merchandise from one of the magazines within the casing or carrier, the latter is rotated about the shaft or post 2 until the stem 26 of the releasing plunger of the magazine containing the desired article alines axially with the shank 37. The proper coin is' now applied' to the coin controlled mechanism of the `bperating device whereby the shaft. 31 may be rotated under the action of the knob 32. In the rotation of the shaft 31, one of the raised portions 34 of the disk 33`engages the heel 40 of the the latter out of the shank 37 and so forces the tension of the spring 39 and into engagement with the adjacent end of the stem 26 on the releasing plunger 25. As the stem 26 moves inwardly, a simi- 4lar motion is imparted to the releasing plunger whereby the article contained within such plunger is discharged from the cas'- ing by way of the' registering openings 9 and 4, and the chute 5, the latter enabling the dispensed article to be conveniently removed by the purchaser. As the disk 33 continues to rotate under the action of the shaft 31, the heel 40 on the shank 37 rides into the depressed part 35 following the previously acting raised portion 34 thereby permittingy the' releasing plunger to be restored to normal position under the action of the spring 28, the spring 39 retracting the shank 37. It will, of course, be'understood that the coin controlled mechanism of the operating device is so timed or arranged asI to lockLitself against further operation 4succeeding the retractin-g of the shank v37 under the action of the spring 39.

It will be obvious that by means of my machine any commodity vended thereby may be readilyfobtained by the purchaser by ,the introduction of theproper coin to the coin` controlled mechanism, while the operating device is common to the releasing plungers of 4all magazines, incident to the operating device being stationary While the carrier is rotatable relatively thereto.

- In order that the vstems 26 andthe shank 37 will aline with each other properly and to obviate any inconvenience to the pur` Chaser, I form in the cylindrical wall of thel casing adjacent to the lower en d thereof a series of circumferentially disposed depressions 41 suitably spaced apart and each located immediately adjacent to one of the stemsi26, these depressions being designed to i'io receive a spring pressed pin 42 mounted within the casing 30 ,to one side of the shank 37. Thus, as the carrier is rotated the pin 42-will enter the depressions 41 thereby notifyingythe customer that the plunger andl respect-ive stem are in axial alinement and the machine ready for operation.

In the present inst-ance, a band 43 composed of hinged sections surrounds the lower portion of the casing and the marginal edge of the platform 3'to cover the free ends of the Shanks 26 so as to prevent unauthorized persons tampering with the machine. TheV `of the carrier for the purposes of cleaning or repairing or for replenishing the article holders or magazines, the padlock 44 may be removed and the unbroken section of the band 43 swung to an open position thereby enabling the segments 14 and 15 of the various sections to be swung relatively to one another.

, 'Io obviate mutilation of the articles withinthe magazine in the sliding movement of the plungers as, for example, where the article within the plunger has been mashed more orv less and the following article permitted to enter the opening in the plunger to a certain extent so that the inward movement of the plunger, if there were abrupt corners on the walls of the openings 'there-L in, would fracture or otherwise mutilate the latter article, I cut away the upper surface `of each plunger as at 46 so that such surface will be inclined downwardly from the stern end of the plunger to a point approximately centrallyfof the opening 25 therein. Thus, mutilation of the commodities in the inward movement of the plunger to release the article contained therein is avoided, while the plunger may freely move to discharge and receivingy position. t

`While I have herein shown and described one preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit or conne myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the 'scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention. i

I claim:y

1. In avending machine, the combination with a carrier adapted for rotary movement, of article holders within saidrarrier and rotatable therewith, releasing plungers for said article holders, stems on said plungers, and an operating device stationary relaand provided .tively to said carrier and including a shank adapted to aline with` said stems and common to all of said stems.

2. In a vending machine, the combination with a carrier adapted for rotary movement with discharge openings therein, of a table mounted below said Carrier and having' an opening therein adapted to register with the first-mentioned openings, articlepholders within said carrier and rotatable therewith, plungers controlling communication between said holders and` discharge openings, and an operating device stationary relatively to said carrier and common to all of said plungers.

3. In a vending machine, the combination with a carrier adapted for rotary movement, and comprising sections of various materials, each section composed of a num? ber of segments, and a strap having pivotal `connections with said segments whereby the `carrier may be opened, article magazines and means controlling articles from said magwithin said carrier, the discharge of the azines.

4. In a vending machine, the combination with a carrier adapted for rotary movement and provided with openings adj acentto the lower end thereof and spaced apart about the carrier, of larticle holders within said carrier and rotatable therewith, releasing plungers controlling the discharge of articles from said holders, a stem on each plunger andv registering with one of said openings, means normally holding said plungers in non-discharge position, an operating device stationary relatively to said carrier and includinga shank common to all ofsaid stems and adapted to register therewith in the operation of the carrier, and means for operating said shank whereby the plungers will be moved to discharge position.

5. In avending machine, the combination with ay carrier adapted for rotary movement and provided with openings adjacent to the lower end thereof and spaced apart about the carrier, of article holders within said carrier and rotatableV therewith, releasing plungers controlling the discharge of articles from said holders, a stem on each plunger and registering with one of said openings, ,means normally holding said plungers in non-discharge position, an operating device stationary relatively tof said carrier and including a shank common to all of said stems and adapted to register therewith in the operation of the carrier, means for operating said shank whereby the plunger will be moved to discharge position, and means for automatically indicating and holding the respective stem in axial alinement with said shank.

6. In a vending machine, the combination with a carrier adapted for rotary movement and provided with openings adjacent to the Y openings, means normally plunger and registerlng with one of 'said holding said f plungers in non-discharge position, an operating device stationary relatively to said carrier and including a shank common to all ofsaid stems and adapted to register therewith in the operation of the carrier, means for operating said.I shank 'whereby the plunger will'be moved to discharge position, means for automatically indicating and holding the respective stem in axial Y alinement with said shank, and a band surrounding the lower portion of said article holders and )covering the openings thereinv whereby tampering Withv said stems is avoided.

7. In a vending machine, the combination with a carrier adapted for rotary movement,

of article holders within said carrier and rotatable therewith, an operating device stationary relatively to sald carrier and comthe rotation of the disk, and,l means forro tating said disk.

Iny testimony whereof I aiix my signa# ture in presence of two witnesses. Y

ALBERT K. COLLINS. Witnesses:

JOHN J MCCETHY, .BENNETT S. JONES.

Azo 

